How much sugar?

[Mr Bear]

I am about to transfer 5 gallons of beer into King Keg but instructions for priming are just for bottling although the corn sugar pack is 5oz but again just says for bottling. Would that pack be enough for 5 gallons and is it better to use this than normal sugar? also despite washing out barrel 3 times from last brew it still smells of beer so wondered if that's just how it is or I'm doing something wrong?

 

[terrym]

I use VWP solution to soak bottles, and when I used them PBs too. That usually works to remove most of the beery odours. You don't have to fill the item just keep it moving about so the solution wets the surface, then thoroughly rinse about three times with mains water.
No more than 90g table sugar to a 25 litre PB. That will be adequate to carb your beer for dispensing without too much foam, and will be within the pressure limitations of your PB.

 

[Mr Bear]

I use VWP solution to soak bottles, and when I used them PBs too. That usually works to remove most of the beery odours. You don't have to fill the item just keep it moving about so the solution wets the surface, then thoroughly rinse about three times with mains water.
No more than 90g table sugar to a 25 litre PB. That will be adequate to carb your beer for dispensing without too much foam, and will be within the pressure limitations of your PB.

Thanks. Do i need to put the sugar in boiling water first also could i use 90g of the corn sugar that was in the kit instead?

 

[terrym]

Thanks. Do i need to put the sugar in boiling water first also could i use 90g of the corn sugar that was in the kit instead?

Up to you. Dextrose is fine, so if you do use that it dissolves easily, so I would just put it in the PB, then add you beer on top of it. By the time the PB is filled it will have mostly dissolved, and the rest will dissolve soon after.
I certainly never bothered making sugar syrups when I primed PBs with table sugar.
And you could go to 100g if its dextrose since its slightly less fermentable compared to table sugar on a w/w basis.

 

[Mr Bear]

Great thanks for that

 

[Mr Bear]

Up to you. Dextrose is fine, so if you do use that it dissolves easily, so I would just put it in the PB, then add you beer on top of it. By the time the PB is filled it will have mostly dissolved, and the rest will dissolve soon after.
I certainly never bothered making sugar syrups when I primed PBs with table sugar.
And you could go to 100g if its dextrose since its slightly less fermentable compared to table sugar on a w/w basis.

Just read packet it says 142g for 5 gallons but its USA so not sure if same as our measures so do you think that would be too much for my pb ?

 

[terrym]

Forget the packet that's for bottles. The limiting factors for PBs is the pressure rating of the PB and your ability to dispense beer not foam after the priming sugar has all been consumed.
So If your PB is about 25 litres = 5.5 Imp galls = 6.6 US galls and is limited to 15psig my advice is unchanged from above.

 

[GerritT]

https://www.brewersfriend.com/beer-priming-calculator/
Edit: I overlooked the whole barrel thing

 

[terrym]

https://www.brewersfriend.com/beer-priming-calculator/

Not for PBs. Sadly people think they can prime a PB to the same level of carbing that they would use for bottles. But they cant.
Since increasing amounts of sugar will
- increasingly dispense foam rather than beer
- start to stress the PB due to overpressure
- ultimately cause the Rv to vent (assuming the rubber band works)
As I and others regularly say, PBs are suitable for low carb beers like ales, but not high carb beers like lagers, due to the above reasons

 

[kelper]

I put some sugar in a jar of water to see how quickly it dissolved. It only took overnight so I don't see any need to dissolve priming sugar in hot water unless time is critical.

 

[kelper]

If the kit comes with priming sugar I put it all in the barrel. If the pressure gets to 10psi the relief will vent the excess. Otherwise, I add 100g.

 

[Mr Bear]

Forget the packet that's for bottles. The limiting factors for PBs is the pressure rating of the PB and your ability to dispense beer not foam after the priming sugar has all been consumed.
So If your PB is about 25 litres = 5.5 Imp galls = 6.6 US galls and is limited to 15psig my advice is unchanged from above.

ok thanks i will measure 100g out of the packet and do as you suggest

 

[Mr Bear]

Not for PBs. Sadly people think they can prime a PB to the same level of carbing that they would use for bottles. But they cant.
Since increasing amounts of sugar will
- increasingly dispense foam rather than beer
- start to stress the PB due to overpressure
- ultimately cause the Rv to vent (assuming the rubber band works)
As I and others regularly say, PBs are suitable for low carb beers like ales, but not high carb beers like lagers, due to the above reasons

im doing IPA is that a low carb?